What it Takes
by EstMonteDesPro
Summary: This is an AU story set in New York City. Different categories and families fighting over territory and much more. When the Thief begins to rise can the Pharaoh maintain control? Or will his crown fall to another? There will be Kaiba/Yami and Bakura/Yami! Thank you!
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing!

The room was beginning to suffocate the boy, the others droning voices grower ever louder. He knew that their interest was his safety, and he appreciated that, but sometimes they forgot that as the leader their words turned little water into gold. His thoughts were on another time, one that had just happened before his secretary had beeped in. Another meeting, another problem on the outskirts; same news as always. His council tended to take these matters a little too seriously. All he wanted to take seriously was his little brother's graduation this evening.

His sweet little one, who he had sworn to protect since their grandfather had passed a few years back. He not only decided to keep Yugi away from the current situation but the lifestyle entirely. He went so far as to relocate into another home, telling the little one it was for schooling. The only other aspect of himself that he chose to conceal was his name; if his enemies got hold of his name they would be able to hurt his loved ones. That had almost happened to his grandfather, but the old man had chosen death.

"You know Your Highness, your lack of a response tells me you must agree." Oh that man just irritated his ass.

"Of course, Kaiba." He stood slowly, making sure to pop his back on the way up. "I will make contact with you later, as for now, I have other matters to attend to. Let me know if the Thief makes another move. You know how to reach me."

He could hear the man mumbling as he shut the door behind himself, but gave it no notice, and instead took his mind to correcting his crumpled collar and tie. The man was irritating but necessary. Kaiba had a brilliant mind with endless connections, which the brunette swore would remain faithful as long as his finances fed their pockets. Even Kaiba's fantasy world was brought down with the death of his father, which opened the perfect gateway for his adopted brother to make his move. Noa had grown tired of the brunette's constant bragging and growing ego; he killed the other man's wife as a warning, taking a team of his own to the East Side.

Once outside the building he gave a quick glance around, sliding on his tinted glasses. Never sure as to why he chose to ritually place them on his face, he convinced himself it was so that no one could recognize him. The thought was as ridiculous as his disguise, but he could not stop his fingers from retrieving them every day he left headquarters. Walking to his car, he nodded to the driver before sliding into the leather that waited within. He placed his head against the chilling window, thinking of what he should get his brother as a graduation gift. The boy was a fan of games but Atemu wanted to get him something more than a toy. However, something too extravagant would draw unnecessary attention.

"Sir, I have been wondering why Mr. Kaiba continues to convey his information in broad daylight or why you continue to agree to the situation." The man sighed heavily but continued. "Your grandfather would not approve of such a suspicious situation."

"I am well aware Mahado, but I have to agree unless…" He really had no reason as to why he gave into Kaiba's foolish times. "I trust Kaiba, but I am aware of your distrust you have for him. Please do not worry yourself with me; I can handle Kaiba."

The other male dropped the subject but kept his brooding look. Just as Atemu opened his mouth his personal phone began to beep. Pulling it from his pocket, he pressed to accept the incoming message.

_It is a pity your brother won't make it to his graduation, princess. _

Eyes widening, Atemu tried to wrap his mind around the sudden threat to his family. His eyes moved across the words once more before they settled on the final word. _Princess._ Only one person came to his mind at such a ridiculous nickname. Among the underground society he was known as the Pharaoh, and the one who had to have sent the message was the Thief. The troubling man had begun overstepping his boundaries ever since his grandfather had passed, but Atemu had never thought he would come into his territory. Such a thing was unheard of unless one wanted to cause a war.

He closed his phone because he knew the Thief was too intelligent to allow his number to be tracked. Sliding off his jacket, he moved to survey his surroundings for the first time since leaving Kaiba Corp. The limo two cars behind them caught his attention immediately. Instead of a normal mascot plastered to the hood of the car there was a ring.

"That bastard…" he allowed his words to trail as his mind ran through a game plan. "Turn the car around, Mahado. We're going to the pier."

Reaching under the seat he pulled out a dark briefcase. Unlocking the case he pulled all of its contents from its velvet insides. He holstered as many pistols and as much ammunition to his body as it would hold, covering his newest possessions with the jacket. If the Thief wanted to play dirty then the Pharaoh decided he could teach him a lesson he would never forget.

As the car slung around, he pulled another phone from his back pocket, speed dialing Kaiba. After multiple rings he began to doubt that the bastard would answer his call, until he heard the connection click.

"Listen, the Thief has my little brother and I need your help. I have a message from him but I am sure he is expecting that. But, I do believe one of his men is following me. I'm passing East River now and they are a few cars behind me. Can you find them somehow?"

"Yes, give me one moment and I will tap into the security cameras surrounding the area. Any more information? Tag number? Car color? Number of people in car?"

"It's a white limo with tinted windows. And they are behind me, asshole."

"Listen here, you little ass, I am helping you so give me a little respect here." He could hear Kaiba's fingers moving across the keypad of his computer more than he could hear his words. Then the tapping got quieter. "Alright, I am streaming. Tag number not there because it is a new car. Now follow my lead and you may be able to… Switch lanes to the right. Turn in two lights to the right, but get in the left lane and take the off ramp into downtown." As Kaiba gave directions Atemu conveyed them to Mahado until his car was taken into the central road downtown. "Now stop the car by the blue Camero with ridiculous rims. Take the parallel park. Now get out and get in the car across the street, but be careful they are parking now. Up to something."

Atemu slowly got out of the backseat, hand sliding into his pockets. He could see they were only parked mere feet away from one another, and as the window slid down he broke into a run. As he laid a hand on the side of the car Kaiba had pointed out he heard the gunshots and one more thing that caused his heart to drop.

"Watch out!" He knew it was Yugi's voice and turned.

Too late. Feeling the metal slide in between his bones made him grit his teeth and draw his gun. Looking across the street, he nodded to his assistant. Mahado held his own rifle firmly, pointing at the other man who had recently stepped into the street. This was the other man who held his brother by the hair, dangling him in front of Atemu's eyes. Atemu had never seen the man before, but recognized the sword hanging from his hip.

"So you have teamed up with the Thief, Tombkeeper? I always heard the rumors about you two being so chummy." He grunted, moving his fingers into the hole in his shoulder. "Pity they were true."

"Wrong there, princess. We just have common goals as of late. I've never actually mingled with the thief before." His gaze was intense, full of insanity. This man would hurt his brother without a doubt. "So, here's the deal. You come with me and I leave the kid with your dog. Sounds good? It would be a pity for him to miss his own graduation."

He saw the hands in his brother's hair give a harsh tug, causing Yugi to yelp. He grit his teeth once more, pushing away from the car. Everyone knew what his answer would be, so it came as no surprise when he gave a nod. He walked over to the man's outstretched hand, dropping his weapons and jacket along the way. He reached the other's tanned hand and accepted it. The man quickly grabbed him, throwing Yugi to Mahado, holding Atemu close, inspecting his body to make sure that no other weapons remained.

A sudden gust fell over the four of them, and Atemu could not help the smirk that crossed his lips at the Tombkeeper's frantic reaction. He drew his gun, giving Atemu enough time. His leg connected with the man's groin and as he doubled over his knee connected with his nose. Ignoring the crunch that connected with his limb, he ran the other side of the landing aircraft. Once Yugi and Mahado were safely within, he took the offered hand.

"'Bout time, thought you'd never show." He grimaced, leaning against the other's body.

"Well, if you could handle yourself better I would never have had to." Kaiba's cold blue stare turned out the window and he looked to his men. "Shoot him."

Just as the sounds echoed from the guns another piece of mechanics sped between the two parties. The tanned blonde was gone within seconds, and the bullets left their marks on an old building. Kaiba's fist connected to the wall, his other reaching to catch the falling boy in his arms.

"Atemu! Atemu!" Yugi's face began to rain as soon as they were in the air. "Will he be alright? Oh god, Atemu."

Kaiba turned his attention front seat, taking control of piloting the helicopter. "I will explain everything in a few moments. We need to make space."

The motorcycle came to a screech in front of a small shack, and both blondes braced themselves for what kind of wrath would lie within. They knew of the Thief's anger problems but had never been the victims of it. Sighing, they took the steps to the fallen doorway.

"Ah, just who I was looking forward to seeing tonight." That deep voice coming from the corner of the shabby, darkened place was nothing less than frightening. "Where is the princess?"

The two blondes exchanged looks, neither sure who should break the news. Their silence was all the Thief needed, and he suddenly began to laugh.

"Are you implying that my two best were outsmarted by the little one?" He had stood, his silhouette becoming clearer by the ticking of the clock. As the two blondes braced themselves, the Thief chuckled. "Good. I have missed the hunt all too much. Get out of my sight."

The white haired man walked to the door, looking up to the moonlit sky. He would spare the rich little pricks one night, besides, what kind of brother would he be if he missed his brother's graduation tonight.

"Oh, Ryou. If only you knew what I do to protect you from the ugly filth of the world." As he took the last steps from the room he grabbed his trench coat from the nob it was hanging from. He climbed into his own car, revving the engine. His thoughts of the one called the Pharaoh could wait. Besides, it was only a matter of time before he belonged to him.

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think! Want me to continue? R&R!

3 Madz


	2. Chapter 2

_**I still own nothing but I thank you for getting this far with me! Without ado-**_

As the ceremony procession continued the white haired male's mood only darkened. All of the little ignorant shits around him, every one, were beginning to test his patience. It was not the graduating class that made him want to pull his eyes from socket. No, it was the bodies gathered on the bleachers. There was a woman sitting in front of him, attempting to whisper into her cell phone that held an assured pressing matter. Behind him he could hear some snot nosed kid pestering his father about some gadget he'd seen inside a shop window on the way to the stadium. A group of teenagers that were across the stands were they first on his list to go. At every word spoken they would clap, cheer, and make their own side comments. All of this would have been fine had they been speaking amongst themselves rather than screeching as if they were attending an actual game.

Aside from the guests, for the private school to choose this location with all of the money being poured into it lit a fuse by itself. Knowing how much he paid for his own little brother to attend was by far enough to have a better setting. The procession was set up in a football stadium in the bloody heat of all places. The tables, chairs and balloons did not show the schools colors but were all white, causing everything to reflect light as the sun hit their surfaces. All of the graduates were in dark robes that he assured himself were suffocating. Their backs to the sun, almost all of them had removed their caps to use them for fanning. The school could have at least picked a smaller indoor location, like one of the downtown clubs.

He chuckled at the thought of his little brother sitting down there, long hair choking the life out of him. However, he was surprised to see the other's eyes glued to each speaker, hands carefully folded in his lap, while his cap remained on his head. The only conclusion that he was able to reach was that he should not try to understand the little one. They had always been different, Ryou the more studious and Bakura more of a misfit. Where Ryou sat, poised, Bakura would have been naked just to see the angry faces of his elders.

When the president rose to present the national anthem and lead the group in prayer he did not hold his distaste back. A gag escaped his lips, eyes rolling behind darkly tinted glasses. As the bodies around him rose he scoffed at them, finding the result of pampering of his nails a much more promising task. This ceremony was surely not able to get any worse compared to the old man's nasally voice; his tone insisted he was taking each word of his speech seriously.

_A speech that was surely written last night. _He laughed outright at the arrogant man's aura, smirking suddenly when he caught sight of one person entering the stands late.

The tall man walked with as much arrogance as the old man's tone held. It was a strange scene, the man all dressed up for the graduate procession. The brunette had obviously known of the location and had decided on wearing a white dress suit. It promised that it was a pretty penny no matter that the fabric was so thin. His shoes were the same crisp white, his undershirt a light blue. In his hand he clutched a silver briefcase which struck the white haired male's curiosity. Something that was finally worth his time in the inferno.

At the sound of another taking the microphone he turned his attention back towards the stage. After each man's speech his brother took the stage. As head of his class he was expected to give a speech of his own. Ryou had told Bakura of this duty a few nights previous over dinner. He sat, worried, with a blank paper to show for his hours of planning.

The sight proved promising to the murmuring class, most of who had never heard the quiet British boy before. The others were merely pleased that all of the formal professors, with the intent of bragging of their own efforts for the graduates, had taken their seats. Ryou turned, looking back at his professors, swept his gaze across his fellow classmates, and scanned the stands. When he found Bakura's figure in the stands he smiled, readjusting the microphone in front of his beaming face.

"I stand here, in front of you all, with no script in hand. I was unsure as to what I would say to all of you that I hardly know, many of whom have never bothered with knowing my name. However, I do not need to know any of your names to know of your accomplishments. All of your intelligent minds have brought us together for the day, and in a few moments I will be but a memory for most of you. But, I have one thing to ask of you. If you do forget everything surrounding this moment, I ask you to remember the moment for what it is. This is a moment you may never have again, one that signifies you are whoever you want to be. All that you need to do is remember what Heidegger once wrote, that your truth is unconcealed as of the moment, and only you can preserve its beauty. Thank you."

The students, faculty, and even Bakura were left speechless by the strong speech that was given by the usually timid boy. Impressed by the young one's words Bakura crossed one leg over the other as a snarky grin appeared on his face. _Maybe we are related after all. _

The rest of the ceremony held no meaning until his brother's name was called and that was the only time he stood, clapping the other across the stage. As he sat he could feel a set of eyes on him, and turned to see that it was the young CEO. Smirking, he acted as if he had not noticed. Due to the shades sitting on his face the other could not tell that he held his attention, something the white haired male took pride in. Just as he thought the ceremony was drawing a close the president welcomed the CEO as the last guest.

Bakura's eyes followed him to his spot on the stage. He gave a brief introduction, then a boring speech that gave his congratulations; words that Bakura knew were forced. When the man called Ryou to the stage Bakura narrowed his eyes. He did not like the thought of one of his enemies and little brother so close to one another. To be honest, it pissed him off.

When Ryou reached the spot in front of Kaiba the brunette offered his hand, introducing himself to the smaller boy.

"It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected as an intern under myself, personally, because of your academic achievements. I can tell that you hold great promise and I do not intend for that to be utilized by one of my competitors. So, I welcome you to KaibaCorp." At the brunette's words the smaller boy's eyes widened. At a loss for words he glanced towards one of the professors, who gave him a thumb up. "Would you like to accept?"

"…I would love to, thank you." The rest of their conversation was left for the elder Bakura to dwell on. As soon as his little brother had given his answer the brunette passed the microphone back to the president who closed the ceremony with a last word and the schools alma mater. Kaiba did not waste himself with getting away from the rest of the crowd, leading Ryou by the small of his back.

Before the song was over the Thief had begun his search for Ryou. When he found him he was still chatting with the brunette but quickly excused himself from the other for Bakura's outreached arms.

After a few moments were allowed between the brothers Kaiba approached.

"Well, Ryou, it was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to our future meetings. Keep that number a secret if you will. Many seek my number out." He extended his hand, grasping the smaller boy's in his own. Suddenly, blue eyes flicked towards Bakura, a challenge present in them. "Your brother has told me a lot of your encouragement of him. You've done well, he is incredibly brilliant. But, I am afraid I missed a name. Kaiba."

His hand moved from the smaller white haired males hand to in front of Bakura. Behind his tinted lenses Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Bakura. You can address me by my last name." Glancing down at the extended hand it nearly killed him. His brother's eyes were on him, a silent plea for the pale male to accept the gesture. Taking the hand, he smiled a smile of promise. "I will surely see you soon, Seto Kaiba. Come, Ryou, I want to give you your gift."

As he turned on heel, not sparing the brunette a final look, he felt the cerulean eyes linger on his back until he was far enough they could no longer see him. He smirked, unable to hold it back. _So you want to play on these terms? Please, I am so far out of your league I will make you regret showing your face here. _Removing a handkerchief from his pocket with his right hand he made sure to get the other's fingertips from his left.

"What are you doing 'Kura?"

"I think he was sick and I do not want his germs. Better clean yours off too Ry." Pushing his glasses up further on his nose he grinned at the other boy, handing the boy another white cloth. "So, big ass lunch sound nice?"

At the mention of food the little one's face lit up, an eager nod was all the answer he needed. As they made their way to the car Bakura thought of the little princess and wondered how he was doing. He knew the petite boy was a lot stronger than his physique let on. Opening the car door he momentarily forgot all of the other people and reached to retrieve the small package from the backseat. As Ryou settled himself in Bakura placed the package in his lap.

"For me?" At his nod, Ryou smiled and picked up the gift. His fingers softly revealed the contents and his eyes brightened and teared soon after. "Oh, Bakura, thank you so much."

At the light touch from the smaller male's hands around his neck he wrapped his own arms around him. When he pulled away he was pleased to see the boy clutching the book to his chest.

"Where on Earth did you find a signed copy? Heidegger is not known for signing his works. This old too…" His voice trailed, fingers plucking the pages back and forth, skimming the imprinted words.

"I would go anywhere to find something that brings this much joy to you, little one." Before he left the lot he took note of the serial number of Kaiba's car, smirking at how much the other man glanced around before getting inside.

_I would not be so stupid as to act on you now, ignorant prick. _

xXxXxXxX

A groan escaped pursed lips, hand moving to his shoulder as he pushed himself from the bed. Drifting his eyes across the dips of the bed he knew in an instant to whose room he was confined. All it took to find out the room's owner was a look at the sheets. The brunette was surely pushy when it came to his sheets not having one tiny wrinkle in them. His OCD nature tended to have a lot of maids fired by the end of the week in which they were hired.

As he moved to stand from the bed he noticed a piece of paper with scribbled words across the surface lying on the bedside table. Picking it up he noticed two different handwritings, one he knew while the other he was left to guess.

_Atemu, I have to go phone my school and make arrangements to pick up my diploma later. Please do not over exert yourself when you wake up. Don't make me hurt you! Love, Y.M. _

_Listen here sunshine, I should be home in a few hours. About lunch time. Be careful. Mahado is downstairs if you need anything and of course there are my butlers. Let anyone know if you need anything. – Kaiba P.S. Stay in bed. _

Smiling, he laughed at both notes. It was reassuring to know that they both cared so much. Even though the stoic one had a hard time with showing it. At first the message that Yugi left had caused him happiness, the other did not seem to be upset with him, there was only concern in his words. The thought of a threat placed on Yugi reminded him of the trouble his little brother had been drug into because of his own carelessness. He sighed, suddenly angry with himself. If only he had been more careful the other would not be in this predicament, his life in jeopardy because others wanted to teach the big Pharaoh a lesson. If the Thief had never involved him he would have lived a peaceful, normal life. Willing those thoughts from his mind he forced himself to think of something else.

Wondering where Kaiba could have gone he glanced at the wall clock. It was after lunch time and he was sure the blue eyes would come through the door at any moment. That man was all about promptness, usually lecturing Atemu in his late nature.

While waiting on the other man he decided to take a shower but ran into a bit of trouble when he tried to undress himself. It took careful detail with moving so that the stitches would stay in place. The threat of them ripping did not sound good to him so he settled with moving sluggishly. When his clothes were fully off he knelt by the tub, turning the water on and testing it with his wrist. After a few moments, when the temperature was to his liking, he tussled with the idea of whether he should take a shower or a bath. Figuring that the shower would hit a little too harshly against his injuries, he decided on a bath. That way he would also be able to soak the heat into his aching muscles, a small price to pay after the scuffle with the Thieves men.

Once the water rose to the middle of the tub he situated himself fully against the bottom, watching with violet eyes as the water rose about an inch. Lying as comfortably as he could, he decided to wait to clean himself. The position was too comfortable for any extensive movement, especially one that could wait.

As time continued creeping by, he lost himself in the bathrooms decorations. The walls were lined with a silver and blue trim, rising and falling as if they were waves, ending along the bottom with little fish seemingly swimming inside the walls, small bubbles spilling from their lips. Everything in the bathroom was white in majority, with silver and blues weaving into the carefully chosen fixtures. The sink was one like he had never seen before, jutting out of the counter like a fountain. When the lever was lifted behind the bowl structure water would flow from a small basin into the next, disappearing in the center. It was strange seeing such a beautifully sculpted piece of work sitting in such the plain room. The mirror reflected everything in the room, wrapping from one wall to the next. There was no spot he could detect on its polished surface, surely one of Kaiba's demands. Hanging beside the Victorian style tub were two washcloths that held the elder Kaiba's initials in swirling letters.

_I will make sure to bring those up at a later time…. _He chuckled to himself, thinking of how feminine the brunette was when it came to material things. Everything had a place and had to be perfect; the rooms of the house always gave insight to the blue eyed boy's personality.

After taking in his surroundings he decided to properly bathe. Lathering a strange smelling soap around his body he felt the prickles from the beads infused within the small block. It was a soothing feeling, the beads promising that his skin would be clean to the pore. Just as he was about to place the soap back where he found it he heard a soft click from behind him. Looking over his shoulder he met the face of an irritated Kaiba. The man's current state made the Pharaoh forget to banter him about knocking next time.

The scowl that was written across his face promised an explanation whether the smaller male wanted one or not. When the tricolor haired male opened his mouth to question what was troubling the other he was flooded with information on the Thief and his brother. The more petite sat in the tub, listening to the male frantically ramble about his day. Apparently Kaiba thought that he held the upper hand with his movement to coax the younger Bakura into his hands. Unfortunately, the Pharaoh was not certain as to whether he agreed with the convinced man.

He was worried that Kaiba had worked himself up over the situation, wanting revenge for his injury. Not sure as to what the other's plans were a quick thought flashed through his mind. He did not think the brunette would sink to Bakura's level and involve his little brother. Hoping that he did not intend to harm the young boy, who was surely around Yugi's age, he nibbled on his bottom lip. Deciding he would place a firm foot down if it came to that situation, he shook the thoughts from his head. Kaiba would listen if he knew that he was opposed to anything dealing with the younger boy. Unsure as to what Kaiba had been flailing about since his mind had strayed he placed his thoughts back on to what the other was saying.

"I mean, but that ass, oh he knew who I was. It was pleasing to see the pain on his face when he shook my hand. But you'd never believe the two were brothers; complete opposites." The brunette paused, taking another breath. "I think he wants to meet with us. Or you, I just have a feeling."

Nodding, the Pharaoh sat forward in the water, wincing as he felt a stich prod against his insides. Kaiba caught his hand as he reached for the plug, pulling it gently away from its goal. The blue eyes suddenly changed, the turmoil that was present had left, replaced with a calm blue. Those eyes were fastened to his fingers and then trailed over his leaning figure until they reached the place of his misery.

"You missed your back." A light scarlet was all the brunette waited for until he pulled his hand back, unbuttoning his overcoat and then the rest of his clothes. He did not take time in ridding himself of his clothes but then longer to fold them back in place, taking care that the creases were in the correct spots. "It is a little small for the both of us but since you fit so perfectly in my arms I think we can make do. What do you say?"

"I suppose I could deal with that. For my back." It was a small murmur that fell from his lips as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. The smaller male casts his eyes towards the wall as he felt the water ripple, signifying that the taller man was fitting himself around the tricolor haired boy.

Long fingers ran up and down his back, water that had dried returning once more to his naked frame. Kneading into the slightly tan skin, the brunette waited for the other boy to relax. Once the knots were removed from his upper back the smaller male's shoulders began to slacken and his body melded against the other's chest. It was as strong as he recalled it from memory and he found that his body and the other's were still the perfect match.

"You know, I think we are destined to be together." A shiver raked through the smaller male's frame as a light kiss was placed at the nape of his neck, muscular arms pulling him into the other's warmth.

_**So sorry that it took forever for an update but I have a few going as of right now. So, if this is the one you do like I need to know! I promise faster updates with every R&R, fav, and follow. Thanks so much for taking your time with this! **_

_**-Madz**_


End file.
